


Choose your battles

by apathyinreverie



Series: The Lightwood-Bane Collection of Strays in Trouble [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Civil War Team Iron Man, Fix-It, Gen, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Post-Canon, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Power Couple Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 03:49:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20500400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apathyinreverie/pseuds/apathyinreverie
Summary: In their derision for the weakness of men, the universe never considered that earth itself might only seem so weak because its most powerful beings have long-since outgrown this plane of existence entirely.-(Tony has known Magnus ever since he was a kid, met him at one of those high-society parties his parents used to drag him to. So in the aftermath of Civil War, when he feels he is entirely out of options, Tony decides he might as well call in some outside help.)





	Choose your battles

Magnus has lived in New York for decades, has always enjoyed a rather hedonistic, eccentric life style, being high society's go-to guy for that magnificent anti-wrinkle cream or those good luck charms that almost seem to actually work.

He is constantly surrounded by wealth and glamour and beauty, sycophants everywhere, everyone wanting to get as close as they can so they can promptly ask for favors.

Sound familiar?

Yeah, if he and Magnus hadn't known each other ever since he can remember, Tony would have sicked SI's lawyers on him for stealing his bit a long time ago.

But they met when Tony himself was just a child, met Magnus at a party his parents were attending somewhere in Asia.

Back then, Magnus had smiled at him and talked to him like he would to a grown-up. And Tony had decided then and there that they were going to be friends.

Of course, high-society life doesn't quite work like that.

They did continue to see each other at various parties from time to time but only rather infrequently, not at all helped by Tony's rather erratic lifestyle as he grew up, from child to teenager to college kid, became an orphan, the owner of a Fortune-500 company, the world's go-to guy for weapons, for technological advancement, turned himself into a superhero, became their country's nuclear deterrent, and forever remained the world’s punching bag.

Not to give the wrong impression, sometimes years go by between the two of them really talking to each other, but the circles of high society aren't expansive enough for the two of them to not at least catch each other's eyes from across the room at least once or twice a year.

And, sure, they might have never discussed it, never even brought it up, but Tony has never been blind to the fact that over all the years they've known each other Magnus _hasn't aged_, still looks the exact same _now_ as he did the first time Tony saw him. A fact that also seems to escape everyone else for some inexplicable reason.

It will be years down the line before Tony finally gets an explanation not only for Magnus' forever youthful appearance but also why no one aside from Tony ever seems to notice.

And he never actually asks Magnus about it either, doesn't ask him for answers, doesn't ask him for anything. For the very simple reason that Magnus is the one person - the _only_ person - Tony knows who has never asked him for something, not once.

Not for money, not for tech, not for favors of any kinds, not even that he better himself. Not anything.

And Tony has always made sure to repay the man in kind.

There is just something about knowing that whenever they do see each other - even more rarely these days than they used to - Magnus will smile, brightly, honestly, genuinely, and then ask Tony how he has been and listen interestedly to everything Tony might ramble in reply. Without any agenda at all.

Magnus who never wags his finger, not about his partying when he was younger, not about his sleeping around, his drinking, his irresponsible lifestyle, his derision for his father, his impatience for anyone not able to keep up with him.

Magnus sees him and smiles.

It's the only truly genuine smile Tony got to see in high society all throughout his childhood and teenage years, and it's worth more to him than he could possibly say.

But.

Just because they never _discussed_ it doesn't mean that Tony isn't fully aware that there has to be _more_ to Magnus. That there has to be something he doesn't know to the man, something even beyond just keeping him forever young.

So, in contrast to what everyone else might assume about Tony's interaction with Captain America and Norse gods and whoever else, the first person to truly make Tony _believe_ in the supernatural was someone else entirely.

Magnus with his never-aging face and his far-too-old eyes. Magnus with his kind smile and genuine interest in everything the desperate-for-attention-but-too-proud-to-admit-it boy at the party might have to say. Magnus who had once even made eight-year-old Tony a nightlight which glowed only to his eyes, invisible to anyone else, so as not to get him in trouble with his 'Man up, Tony!' father.

So, yes, Tony has known about the supernatural for a long time, has known that there is more in this world since long before the rest of humanity ever caught on.

_But then again, what else is new?_

Which is also the source of his derision for all those self-made magicians and superheroes and gods from other planets proclaiming themselves the heralds of magic.

Because Tony knows what _real_ magic looks like.

And this lot? With the sole exception of Loki, all of their most powerful mumbo-jumbo has nothing on the ease with which he has seen Magnus bend reality, even while just doing a couple of parlor tricks to entertain Tony when he was just a child.

Magnus is also where Tony's absolute conviction that magic is just as scientifically definable, just as much governed by scientific laws as anything else in this universe, comes from.

Because when Tony had claimed as much - during an entirely hypothetical conversation about magic that of course had nothing at all to do with Magnus himself - the other man had just nodded easily, saying something along the lines of 'if it is natural to this world, then of course there must be a natural way to explain it'.

Still, Magnus never actually told him where his powers come from, or whether there are more than just him who can do something similar, never actually told him anything at all about his less-than-ordinary powers.

And since Tony had sworn to himself never to actually demand answers from the man, it had only ever been a thought in the back of his mind. Even when he started making tangling with the darker side of the not-quite-ordinary population of their beautiful planet quite literally his business, started fully immersing himself into that world.

Tony might be 'normal' physically, but he still has the tools to make sure that in this mess of superhuman powers and godlike egos, at least one truly unenhanced person can still keep up, can speak for all those other ordinary, literally power-less people around. Even if only because of a metal suit he built himself.

However.

After finally having found a team meant to help him protect the world and all its ordinary citizens, suddenly, Tony is alone once more, yet again barely able to breathe under the weight of responsibility once more resting solely on his shoulders.

He spent _years_ building a line of defense against whatever else might be out there, and just within a few days everything he has worked for has simply fallen apart. While the threats looming over his head, looming over earth, over humanity, seem to be ever-growing.

And despite how much he would like to claim differently, Tony alone simply isn't _enough_ to protect earth from what is coming.

_ Tried it and most definitely learned my lesson. Let's not try that again. _

So, he needs help.

Which brings him here, sitting in his penthouse of his tower, staring at the phone in his hand, the number already dialed, finger hovering over the call button.

And, sure, Tony hasn't really spoken to Magnus in years, hasn't seen the man at any parties for quite some time actually.

But he needs help, needs someone who he can trust to genuinely try to help him, or - at the very least - to genuinely tell him to fuck off. He simply can't risk someone agreeing to help, only to then turn around and stab him in the back as well. Tony doesn’t think he’d be able to take another betrayal of his trust, quite simply doubts he'd have the strength to get up again after.

And there is no one he knows in this world who is more genuine than Magnus.

He blinks down at his phone.

And presses call.

* * *

When Tony calls Magnus for help, the man simply listens to him, asks a couple of question, and then appears within the hour.

Not only that, but he also brings an entire group of so-called Shadowhunters along with him, all of whom are looking in equal parts amused and irritated at the mere idea of some alien army coming to threaten the ordinary people they apparently consider to be under their protection.

Because the _angels_ told them so.

Which is a thing, apparently.

Yeah.

Turns out, those superpowers humanity so very recently discovered for themselves? Completely and utterly laughable compared to the sort of creatures that have been running around earth ever since humanity existed.

_Learn something new every day._

The situation just continues to escalate from there.

Apparently, these angel-blooded warrior types are part of a world-wide organization, humanity’s defense against the demon hordes – …at this point Tony just gives up being surprised at all the stuff he’s learning today – and all of them seem to be in a constant state of battle-readiness, seem to literally live for it.

Because when Magnus’ husband rings the metaphorical alarm, it takes their leaders from all over the world barely half an hour to collectively appear for their briefing.

In Tony’s penthouse.

All through the magical portal Magnus makes, leading to a place called Idris.

There is a briefing and it’s all pretty military-style if Tony is entirely honest. Battle plans being made, with very clear command structures within the group and people actually listening to their superiors. How delightful.

And after this lot has been briefed, they promptly disappear again.

Which is when things start really getting weird.

Because after the angel-blooded warriors, come the demon-blooded ones.

And, holy crap, could Tony have done without knowing just how much of Twilight and Harry Potter and various other fantasy novels is actually accurate. Vampires and werewolves and actual fucking faeries. At least the warlocks and their magic are not quite as surprising as the rest. Well, at least not to Tony.

But these so-called Downworlders _still_ aren't the weirdest bit.

Because after the Downworlder briefing, Magnus decides to call his father - a demon lord of hell or something along those lines, because, yeah, _heaven and hell _are a thing as well - who promptly appears. And turns out to be a truly _impressively_ condescending asshole – his entire attitude makes Howard Stark look warm and fuzzy in comparison – and he also seems to have some sort of beef with his son-in-law Alexander if the scowling is anything to go by.

But, apparently, he also ‘owes’ Magnus for some reason, so in the end he agrees to call his brothers when the time of the actual invasion comes.

A sentence which _sounds_ innocent enough, but whatever Tony had expected to come of calling Magnus for help, it certainly hadn't been to find himself standing alongside actual angels and true demons when Thanos finally makes his appearance on earth.

Admittedly, the purple alien looks just as surprised to see them there, clearly having expected minimal if any resistance from earth, maybe some puny mortals and a handful of intergalactic heroes at most. Not the entire Shadowworld and any realms associated with it.

Turns out, while other planets, other races may have superpowers in their blood, may even call themselves gods of this or that, apparently none of them have entire realms associated with theirs like earth does. Realms filled with beings so ancient, so powerful they could burn out entire planets within an instant. No ridiculously gaudy glove or sparkly glass marbles required.

And it might have been eons since Arch Angels and Greater Demons actually worked together, fought wars at each others' sides as brothers. 

But this is still _their_ planet, humanity is _theirs_ \- to protect or to mess with - and angels and demons alike apparently take exception to someone else attempting to tear it apart, much less some upstart little pup with delusions of grandeur.

And as Shadowhunters sweep across the battlefield in well-practiced battle formations, inescapable offense and impenetrable defense, aliens falling by the hundreds to their blades. As werewolves and vampires cut paths of death through the armies, too fast to be seen by the normal eye and easily tearing aliens limb to limb. As the earth itself opens up at the behest of the Faeries, entire swarms of aliens being swallowed by the very ground they stand on, never to be seen again. As warlocks join their powers in twirling columns of fire and magic, sparking with pure power and reaching all the way to the sky, cutting down entire swaths of aliens in a single sweep, leaving paths of death and destruction in their wake.

As angels glow so brightly, even the aliens can’t help but bow to them. As demons burn so darkly, even the aliens can’t help but fall to their knees.

The armies crumble.

It’s over before it even really begins, before any of the human or intergalactic support even makes it to the battlefield.

Thanos is the first to fall. And his legions of aliens follow quickly.

And once it’s done, once even the last alien has been torn apart, everyone just disappears once more.

Shadowhunters, Downworlders, Arch Angels and Greater Demons. Just gone within moments. Angels and demons seeming to simply blink out of existence, all the while portals open up all over the battlefield and everyone even partially human proceeds to rather casually stroll through to god-knows-where.

Not a single one of them waits around for recognition, apparently either feeling like they have just done their duty or like they were only protecting what’s theirs anyway.

It's certainly a mindset Tony can get behind.

The last ones to leave are Magnus and his husband.

His old, apparently-demon-blooded friend steps up to him, reaches out to squeeze his shoulder, smile on his face. “It was good seeing you. Do try to call more often, Tony,” he says warmly. "And we'd love to have you over for dinner some time."

Tony just shrugs with a casual grin of his own, feeling lighter than he has felt ever since his fateful trip to space with a nuke on his back. Ever since the realization that they not only aren't alone in the universe but that they are also hopelessly outgunned. Which, _reassuringly_, seems to not actually be true at all.

“I’ll try to fit it into my schedule,” he returns flippantly, and tries not to show how much it means to him to know that he does in fact have at least one other person who will immediately come to his aid if he ever truly asks for help.

Magnus’ smile widens, something in his eyes telling Tony that the warlock heard everything Tony didn't say out loud. Then, he turns, reaches for the hand of his angel-blooded, seemingly-forever-scowling husband, a nod in goodbye, before the two of them casually meander through the portal springing up out of seemingly nowhere side by side.

Tony quirks a grin.

By the time everyone else – Avengers old and new, humans, Wakandans, intergalactic heroes, a couple of gods – arrives Tony is the only one still there. And everyone else is left staring speechlessly at the utter destruction stretching out in front of them.

Sure, Tony knows there will be questions, knows there is probably even some camera footage somewhere. 

But Magnus reassured him that all anyone mundane will be able to see is the effects being wrought by their powers, inexplicable phenomena tearing the alien armies apart. Even Tony isn't actually supposed to be able to see anything of their world and Magnus surmised that it's likely some quirk of his too-highly-functioning brain that lets Tony see through the glamors protecting the Shadowworld from mundane eyes at all.

But with everyone literally blind to whatever might have been caught on camera, how is anyone to prove that it isn’t the exact same for Tony? Which is exactly what he's going to claim in case anyone asks. It certainly won't be the first time he bulshits his way through an international inquiry.

And as people finally spot him standing in the middle of the battlefield and start making their way towards him, likely seconds away from bombarding him with questions, Tony just lets his eyes drift across the battlefield once more.

Focuses briefly on the body of Thanos lying dead at his feet, his eyes burned out by angelic grace, his skin burned off by demonic fury. The big hulking corpse of the alien who is responsible for this entire mess, but at this point only recognizable by the mostly melted glove still worn on his hand, stones removed, now split between the different realms of earth, never to be recovered by a single being ever again.

Tony smiles, feeling honestly rather smugly content right now.

Because in their derision for the weakness of men, the universe never considered that earth itself might only seem so weak because their most powerful beings long-since outgrew this plane of existence entirely.

And looking around the utter destruction surrounding him, Tony can’t help but think that _from now on_ the universe will likely think twice before trying to outsource their problems to earth ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't even know what exactly happened here... And I know this messes with both 'verses a bit but the idea of Magnus and Tony knowing each other just popped into my head yesterday and I scribbled it down and I honestly might not even leave this fic up for long because it was such a spur of the moment thing XD
> 
> Would still love to know what you think (*^^*)


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